


Family Matters

by Bbnabhk



Category: Take That (Band)
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 17:31:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20510804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bbnabhk/pseuds/Bbnabhk
Summary: Gary’s children decide it’s time for him to move on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had a hard time writing this one. I didn’t want to do injustice to the Barlow family, but this Barlliams story kept swimming around in my head.

Gary sat up in bed and checked the time. 10:14am. The kids let him sleep in. He looked to the other side of the bed that laid empty and sighed.

“Where are you, Dawn?” he whispered to himself despondently. He pushed himself up out of bed and headed downstairs, following the smell of coffee and the sound of Peppa the Pig on the television.

“Good morning, Daddy!” Daisy greeted him from the couch.

Emily was seated next to her flicking through her phone. “Morning, Dad,” she said, her eyes never looking away from her screen.

“Morning. Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

“You’ve been working hard. We noticed you needed a break,” Dan said from behind him. He walked past and handed his father a cup of coffee.

“Thanks. Well, I’m happy to spend some time with you lot today watching some footie.”

“I still can’t believe the seats Rob got for us!” Dan said excitedly. “He said he’d be here around noon, so we can get lunch before going to the arena.”

Gary nodded. “I guess I should make myself more presentable then.” He turned to go back upstairs when something caught his eye. He paused by the side table of family photos. “Who flipped over this photo of your mother?” he asked, readjusting the picture.

“I did,” Emily admitted boldly, finally turning her eyes to him. “She’s been gone for five years, Dad. She’s not coming back.”

“She’ll be back.”

“She accused you of having an affair and walked out on us!”

“I wasn’t having an affair.”

“We know, Dad,” Emily said sympathetically.

“She wasn’t in her right mind. She just needs time.”

“Five years! It’s time for us to move on. It’s time for you to move on. You’re too young to spend the rest of your life alone.” She had her mother’s determined eyes, and they were currently boring into Gary.

“I’m not alone,” he defended. “I have you three.”

“That’s not the same,” Dan joined in.

Gary held a hand up. “I’m not discussing my love life with you guys. I’m just not ready.”

“Will you ever be?”

“I don’t know, Em. Look, let’s table the discussion. I have to get ready.”

When Gary came back downstairs, Emily was feeling Daisy’s forehead.

“She’s got a fever.”

Gary took a seat next to his youngest and placed a hand against her forehead. “Yeah, you do! You’re staying home today.”

“But the footie match!”

“There’ll be others,” he assured her.

“I can stay with her if you and Dan want to go,” Emily offered. “Make it a boys’ day with Robbie.”

“No. I appreciate it, but you and your brother have fun.” He hugged Daisy close to him. “We’ll be fine.”

Dan joined them in the room, followed by Robbie. “Rob’s here,” he announced.

“Daisy’s sick,” Gary said sadly. “It’ll just be you three today.”

Robbie frowned. He looked from Dan to Emily to Gary’s tired face and walked to the father and daughter. He pulled Daisy from his arms and lifted her onto himself. “You guys go. I’ve got this,” he said simply.

“Rob, you don’t know how to take care of a child,” Gary reasoned.

“How hard can it be?” He took a seat in the recliner and held Daisy close. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. “Besides, you look like you need to get out and enjoy yourself.”

Gary glanced at his two eldest. “Did you say something to him?”

“It’s pretty obvious, Gaz. Go. I’ll call you if there are any problems.”

“But you bought the tickets.”

Robbie shrugged without a care. “I’m Robbie F-ing Williams. They begged me to take the tickets. I don’t even like either team.”

Dan sniggered, while his father rolled his eyes. “Man City is alright.”

“I’ll have much more fun having a tea party with Daisy here.”

The child squealed in delight from his arms. “I want Robbie to stay with me, Daddy!”

Gary smiled. “Alright.” He walked over and pressed a kiss on her head. Then he raised a warning finger at Robbie. “No more than two biscuits for the each of you. Got it?”

“Got it.” He winked down at Daisy.

“I can see you winking!”

Robbie held up a hand to block his face and winked again. Daisy giggled.

Dan threw an arm around his father and led him out the door. “They’ll be fine, Dad,” he said without much conviction behind his voice.


	2. Chapter 2

“Look, I said I was sorry,” Gary said to Emily as they returned that evening. He unlocked the front door, and she pushed through and stomped in. “Let me check on your sister, and we’ll talk about it some more.”

“There’s nothing to talk about!” She ran up the stairs and slammed her door shut.

“She’ll be alright,” Dan said, following his sister upstairs.

Gary sighed. He flicked on the light and looked around for Daisy and Robbie. He found them both asleep on the couch, the child laying on top of the brunette’s chest. He had one arm wrapped around her protectively.

Gary walked over and nudged Robbie gently. “Rob, we’re back.”

Robbie snorted as he awoke. He blinked a few times before acknowledging Gary. “Oh, hey. Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, thanks. Did you two eat anything other than biscuits tonight?” He pointed at the empty package on the coffee table.

“Yeah,” Robbie said sheepishly. “I heated up a tin of soup for her. That’s the most I’ve cooked in years.”

Gary laughed. He gently pulled Daisy up. “I’ll put her to bed.”

Above them, another door slammed.

“Emily,” Gary explained. Robbie sat up and crossed his arms, ready to listen. “I posted a picture of us at the match on Instagram. A few people made fun of her, calling her fat. I told her she looked beautiful, but she’s mad at me. I’ll delete the post in a little bit.”

“No, don’t do that.” Robbie stood up. “I’ll take care of it,” he said simply. He made his way upstairs and looked for Emily.

“Wait, Rob! What are you going to do?” Gary followed him up, Daisy still asleep in his arms. He laid her down in her room before finding Robbie in Emily’s room.

Robbie was sitting on her bed with his phone up. “So I hear there are a few keyboard warriors out there making fun of my friend Emily tonight,” he said to the phone. Emily hid her face in her hands. “Well, let’s see how brave they are face to face. Let’s start with arsenalfan23. I’m calling you on Instagram Live, and you can explain to me why you’ve been so hateful or apologize to Emily. Oh, you declined my call! Let’s try again!”

Gary’s eyes widened in horror. He started toward Robbie, but stopped when Emily spoke. “Wait, he apologized,” she said in wonder. She pointed at her screen.

Robbie grinned. “Okay, then. Fortnite666, you’re next!”

Emily held her phone up to her dad, laughing. “One person said I’m gorgeous. How can I not be with such a hot dad?”

“Smoking hot dad,” Robbie agreed with a wink in Gary’s direction. “Fortnite’s not answering either. What a coincidence! See, Em, these guys think it’s okay to type whatever they want, but when it comes to actual human interaction, they’re chicken shit!”

“Thanks, Robbie,” she said, giving him a hug, careful not to knock the phone in his hand. “You can stop now. I think you’re about to give my dad a heart attack.”

He flipped the camera on the phone. “Say goodnight to Instagram, Gaz!”

Gary rolled his eyes. “Goodnight,” he said sternly.

Robbie clicked to end the video feed and looked over at Emily. “All better?”

“No one’s ever stood up for me like that!”

“Hey!” Gary protested.

“You always tell me I’m beautiful, Dad, but Robbie literally hunted down the trolls and called them out.” She hugged him again. “Thank you.”

“It’s all part of being a popstar in the digital age.” He patted her hand. “I only use my powers for good, not evil. I fucking hate bullies.” He pushed himself off the bed and grinned at Gary.

“Alright, super popstar, thanks for saving the day. I’ll drive you back to your flat.” He threw an arm around the taller man and led him out the door. Once they were out of earshot, Gary whispered, “I really mean it. Thank you. I really didn’t think I’d ever hear her laugh again. And thanks for taking care of Daisy too.”

“Don’t worry about it. I think I’ve owed you a few favors from over the years.”

“Just a few,” Gary laughed. “Have you eaten?”

“No. That daughter of yours ran me ragged. I passed out after I fed her. How does she have so much energy even when she’s sick?”

The blonde shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. She’s a handful. How about I make you a sandwich, and you can listen to this new track I’ve been working on?”

“Sounds good.”

—-

Gary awoke the next morning with a pain in his back. He had slept sitting up in his recliner, while Robbie rested comfortably on the sofa. His mind flashed back to the previous night. Robbie had immediately changed the melody of his song upon hearing it. Gary would never admit it out loud, but it did sound better. They continued working past midnight until Gary passed out with the laptop still in his lap, forgetting he had promised to drive the other man back to his home. He looked over at the computer sitting safely on the coffee table; Robbie must have moved it.

The older man stood and stretched, working out the kinks in his back. He heard steps coming down the stairs and pressed a silencing finger to his lips as he saw Emily appear.

He pulled her into the kitchen and started preparing coffee. “We ended up working late last night,” he explained. “I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

“You don’t have to explain to me why you had a boy stay over last night,” she teased.

“Don’t think I wouldn’t expect one from you if the roles were reversed,” he warned.

She peered out the kitchen door at the sleeping figure. “What do you think of Robbie?”

Gary poured his coffee into a mug and topped it off with some milk. “What do you mean? He’s Rob. We’ve had a complicated relationship over the years, but we’re mates now.”

“What would you think of him as a boyfriend?” Emily pondered aloud.

Gary almost choked on his coffee. “He’s too old for you!” he sputtered.

“Ew, gross! I meant for you, Dad!”

“Me?”

“Yeah, remember what we talked about yesterday, not being alone forever?”

“I remember telling you to drop it. Besides—”

“Robbie!” Gary rushed back into the room at the sound of his youngest pouncing on Robbie.

“Oof!” Robbie moaned at the impact of Daisy landing on his chest. “Good morning, sweetheart,” he said amicably. “I’m happy to see you too, but can you take your elbow off my lung? Thanks.”

She rolled over and wedged herself between him and the back of the couch. “You don’t look too good.”

“I feel like sh…” He paused and looked at her. “I don’t feel well.”

“You really don’t look well,” Gary agreed. He walked over and put a hand on Robbie’s forehead. “You’re burning up. I think you might’ve caught what Daisy had yesterday.”

“I’m sorry, Robbie!” Daisy apologized.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” he assured her with a pat on her shoulder. “You’ll take care of me, right?”

She sat straight up. “Of course! Daddy, Robbie needs some soup!”

Gary laughed. “Not for breakfast. How about a cup of tea?”

Robbie nodded enthusiastically and then put a hand to his temple. “Ow.”

“Let’s get the kettle on, shall we?” Emily held out a hand to her sister and led her to the kitchen. She looked back and winked at her father.

Gary rolled his eyes and sat at the end of the couch, nudging Robbie’s feet out of the way. “You should spend some more time with Daisy. It’ll help build up your immune system. She’s always bringing home whatever the kids at school have got. We’re used to it by now.”

“I used to snort cocaine off of strippers’ arses. My immune system is just fine.”

“Says the man shivering on my couch.”

“It’s cold in here!”

“It’s 22 degrees!” Gary reached over and pulled out a blanket from behind the couch. He leaned forward and spread it across the younger man. “Get some rest. I’ll never hear the end of it from Mark if you die on my watch.”

“Such sentiment! You should write love songs for a living! Ow!” A throw pillow bounced off Robbie’s head.

“Daddy, I saw that!” Daisy said as she strolled back into the room and presented Robbie with a mug. “Here you go!”

Robbie sat up and took the cup. “Thank you, dear.” He took a sip. “I feel better already.”

“I’m sorry I got you sick.”

When she pulled the blanket up around his shoulders, he leaned his cheek against her hand. “Don’t apologize. I had a lovely time looking after you yesterday. And I heard back from Josie. She moved some things around, so I can go to your ballet recital next week.”

“Really?” Daisy asked excitedly.

“Yeah, if I survive this illness, I’ll be there front and center. And your dad already said he wouldn’t let me die on his watch.” He snuggled against Gary. “Oh my god, you’re so warm!”

Gary rolled his eyes and rubbed small circles into Robbie’s back. Robbie put the cup down and curled up against his friend, closing his eyes. “If you’re going to fall asleep, go to the guest room.”

“But I’m comfortable here,” Robbie pouted.

Gary sighed. “Can one of you girls hand me my laptop? It doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere.”

Emily handed him his computer with a smirk.

“Not a word out of you,” he cautioned.

“I’m not saying anything, Dad.” The mirth in her eyes said it all. “I’ll take Daisy upstairs and give you two some peace and quiet.”

They disappeared and left the two friends alone. Robbie fell asleep soon after, leaving Gary to study the younger man’s face. With his defenses down, he looked so much like the scared sixteen-year-old Gary had met thirty years ago, not the egotistical pop star the world saw. Gary brushed a hair from his forehead, and Robbie grunted appreciatively in his sleep.

Gary smiled. “Em’s daft,” he muttered to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

“That bouquet is bigger than she is!”

“I didn’t know what flowers she liked.”

“Her name is Daisy!”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean she likes daisies. My name’s Rob. I don’t like going out and robbing people.”

“He’s got a point, Dad,” Emily said bemused. “But for future reference, Rob, she does like daisies.”

“Duly noted,” Robbie acknowledged with a nod.

“You really didn’t have to come,” Gary said.

“I promised her I would,” Robbie replied simply.

Gary had to smile at that. Robbie and Daisy saw the world so similarly.

“Dan, switch seats with Robbie. He told her he’d be front and center,” Emily explained.

Dan shrugged and moved seats, but Gary knew her intentions. He and Robbie were now seated next to each other.

The moment the curtains opened, Robbie was engrossed in the show. Gary’s heart melted when he saw both Daisy’s and Robbie’s faces light up when they made eye contact. Gary couldn’t believe Robbie Williams was thoroughly enjoying himself at a children’s dance recital. He even instinctively grabbed Gary’s wrist at the climax of the show and was the first to stand and applaud at the end.

“Did you really enjoy that?” he asked as they waited for Daisy outside the dressing room.

“It was amazing! She did so well!” Robbie gushed.

“She did,” Emily agreed. “We should go out to dinner and celebrate, one big happy family.”

Robbie frowned. “If you want some family time, I can go.”

“No, silly, we consider you family, don’t we, Dad?” She looked over to Gary expectantly.

Gary narrowed his eyes at her but replied, “Of course!”

—

Daisy and Emily had insisted Robbie come back to the house for tea, so Gary had given in and was now waiting for the kettle to boil. He peered out the doorway and watched as Robbie and Dan chatted about football and the new trainers Robbie had bought him. Robbie was absently twirling Daisy around as she danced with his arm. Gary’s eyes then met Emily’s. She grinned at him and nodded towards the other three. “One big, happy family” she had said earlier. Gary had to admit everyone did look happy, himself included.

“Do you need help?” Robbie asked when he saw Gary staring.

“Erm, yeah. Sure.”

Robbie gently extracted himself from Daisy. “I’ll be right back, love.”

Gary pulled out five mugs and tea bags. “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” he commented.

“Yeah, I am. Just let me know if I’m ever in the way. I know it’s got to be hard to parent three children. You don’t need me as a fourth!” He started peeping in the cupboards. “Where are the biscuits?”

“You ate them all last week!”

“You’ve had a week to restock!”

Gary pinched his friend’s side. “You certainly don’t need anymore biscuits, and neither do I.”

Robbie dropped his jaw in mock horror. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying you should try working out with Dan some time. I can barely keep up with him.”

Robbie looked him up and down. “Maybe I should. You look fit.”

Gary blushed. “Thanks,” he muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

Much to Gary’s surprise, Robbie kept his word and showed up the next day ready to work out.

“Your children are all trying to kill me!” he whined as Dan pressed the button on the treadmill to increase the incline.

Dan laughed. “If I killed you, who would buy me new trainers?”

“I can see how you go through them so quickly! I think I smell burning rubber!”

“I think that’s the sign of a stroke,” Gary joked.

“All trying to kill me!” Robbie repeated.

“I’ve got to get to class. Dad, make sure you both do ten reps of the weights. Be sure to spot each other.”

“Is he gone? Can I turn this off?” Robbie gasped. He eyed the door to make sure Dan didn’t come strolling back in with more exercises.

“Yeah, but you’re not done yet.” Gary tapped at the bench press.

“Okay, fine.” Robbie laid back. He grabbed at the bar above him.

“Wait for me to spot you.” Gary positioned himself by his head and held onto the bar as well.

“I can spot you just fine from here,” Robbie said with a whistle.

Gary looked down to see the man looking up his baggy shorts. “Rob!”

“Relax! It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. You’re much better groomed down there than you were in the 90’s,” he commented.

Gary felt his cheeks turn red. “You can’t say things like that!”

“Why not? I meant it as a compliment. Would it make you feel better if I showed you mine?” He started pulling at the waistband of his shorts.

“No!” Gary protested, averting his gaze. “I know how much you love showing it off, but I don’t need to see your genitalia.”

“Afraid you might like what you see?”

“What? No! I mean, not that I wouldn’t… It’s not like that.”

Robbie sat up. “Gaz, is everything alright? You’ve been acting strange lately.”

Gary sighed and took a seat next to him. “Emily wants me to start dating again.”

“You should! It’s been ages!”

“But she’s already got someone in mind for me.”

“Who? Do I know her?”

“It’s you.”

“Is that the Chinese dancer from the last tour? I thought her name was Luu, not Yu.”

Gary rolled his eyes. “No, Rob. You.” He poked a finger against Robbie’s chest for emphasis.

“Me?” Robbie shook his head. “That’s some poor judgement on her part.”

“Why’s that?” Gary was interested to hear his input.

“It’s me! When was the last time I was in a serious relationship? What do I know about being someone’s boyfriend?”

“But don’t you want more? Not be alone for the rest of your life?”

“You shouldn’t be in a relationship just because you’re afraid to be alone,” Robbie said sagely.

“But you shouldn’t be alone just because you don’t think you know how to be in a relationship,” Gary retorted.

“I’m selfish.”

“No, you’re not. I’ve seen you with the kids; they love you. And you know I love you already. Why can’t we see if there’s something more? An attraction, chemistry.” 

Gary leaned in closer, and Robbie eyed him warily. Finally, he shrugged and muttered, “Why the fuck not?” He closed the distance between them and captured Gary’s lips with his own.

Gary felt the electricity surge through him when their lips made contact. He instinctively moaned into the kiss and dropped a hand on Robbie’s hip to pull him closer. Robbie, on his part, pressed his tongue into Gary’s awaiting mouth and explored. He snaked an arm around the smaller man’s body and rubbed his hand up and down Gary’s back.

“Jesus,” Gary gasped as they pulled away.

“Not the first time someone’s made that comparison,” Robbie joked with a wink.

Gary giggled nervously. “How was that?”

Robbie tucked a finger under the blonde’s chin and brought their lips together again. Gary fell into the kiss easily. He felt a hand grab his own and was led up a muscular thigh. It felt different but certainly not unpleasant. He, however, jumped back when his fingers came in contact with Robbie’s semi-hard erection.

“Rob!”

“What? You said you wanted to see if there’s an attraction. Well, there’s your answer!” he said cheekily.

Gary covered his face with his hands and groaned. “This isn’t going to be simple, is it?”


	5. Chapter 5

It was actually simpler than Gary could have imagined. Robbie had signed on to be a judge on X-Factor and made London his home base again. No one blinked an eye when he would go to his favorite former head judge for “advice about the show.” Gary was keeping busy with The Band musical and the greatest hits album, so he didn’t need any excuse to keep in contact with all members of Take That, former and current.

Robbie had all but moved into the guest bedroom. Gary had joined him immediately after an unsuccessful attempt at seducing the younger man amidst all of the memories of his wife still in the master bedroom. He now only went in that room to access his closet and shower.

The kids and the dogs took an immediate liking to Robbie’s presence in the house. Dan had someone coordinated enough to kick a football with in the garden. Emily had someone to confide in about boys. And Daisy had someone willing to attend her princess tea parties. They could all see a change in their father. He was happier, and it was all due to Mr. Williams.

“How long have you been lying there naked?” Gary asked as he walked into their room one night. Robbie was on his stomach with no clothes on, typing on his laptop. “What if the kids walked in?”

Robbie popped his arse up and wiggled it. “Then they’d see why their dad is always grinning from ear to ear every morning.”

Gary laughed and slapped the proffered butt. “God, I love you.”

Gary clapped a hand to his mouth, while Robbie whipped his head around to face the other man. “What did you say?”

The older man sat gingerly on the side of the bed. “I love you,” he repeated shakily. “I guess that’s the first time I’ve actually said that, huh?”

The surprise on Robbie’s face melted away, and he launched himself at his lover, pushing him against the headboard and straddling his hips. “I love you too.”

A barrage of kisses rained down on Gary’s face. He laughed as he flipped them over and pinned the younger man’s arms over his head. He slid his hands down across the tattooed body and gripped the side of his hips. Robbie’s eyes widened as he watched the blonde head lower and a pair of lips wrapped around him.

“Oh, Gaz!” He was immediately shushed by a finger at his lips.

“The kids,” Gary reminded him before taking him into his mouth again. Robbie sucked the finger into his mouth and swirled his tongue around the tip, making Gary moan around his member. 

“Shhh… the kids,” the younger man teased.

Gary pulled his hand away and moved the slick finger to Robbie’s entrance. Robbie instinctively grabbed for a pillow and moaned into it as Gary pushed in and sucked him down simultaneously. Gary found his prostate quickly and pressed, causing the man beneath him to spasm and whimper.

“More, Gaz. I want more.”

Gary didn’t need anymore encouragement. He pushed up and grabbed the lube and a condom from their bedside, and before long, he had Robbie back on his belly and was slamming into him. The brunette stifled his groans in a pillow, while the man above him bit his shoulder to keep from screaming as he climaxed inside Robbie.

“Blimey,” Gary muttered as he cleaned them both up with his discarded boxers. “If I knew it was going to be that hot, I’d have said it sooner.”

Robbie snuggled close to him. “Did you really mean it?”

Gary pulled him closer and kissed him. “Of course. I love you.” He absently rubbed a pattern into the palm of Robbie’s hand. “Emily offered to babysit Daisy tomorrow night.”

“Yeah?”

“I was thinking we could grab some takeaway and go back to your flat.”

Robbie nodded. “Sounds good.”

Gary dropped his lips to Robbie’s ear. “Then you can scream my name as loud as you want without having to worry about the kids hearing,” he purred.

Robbie’s other hand gripped the sheets. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” he choked out.

“Perfect! I’ll pick up some food from that Thai place and meet you at yours at half past six. Can you pick up Daisy from school and drop her off here tomorrow?” He was already typing a reminder in his phone.

“She’s got ballet tomorrow,” Robbie muttered, already half-asleep. “But yeah, I can pick her up. Just make sure you pack the new ballet shoes I bought her tomorrow morning. The ribbon on her old ones were starting to fray.”

Gary grinned. Robbie Williams being domestic was incredibly sweet and sexy. He put his phone down and cuddled close to the sleeping form. “I really do love you,” he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

“We should tell the lads about us,” Gary said one morning.

“Yeah, okay,” Robbie agreed absently. He and Dan were already engrossed in a game of FIFA. “That was brilliant!” he said, high-fiving the teen.

“Rob, did you hear what I said?”

“Tell the lads.” He paused. “Wait, what are we telling them exactly?”

“That you two are shagging,” Dan answered, his eyes still glued to the screen.

“Dan!” Gary was horrified.

“What?”

“It’s not like that!”

“We’re shagging, and we’re in love,” Robbie added with a giggle.

“Rob! You’re not helping!”

Dan paused the game and put down his controller. “Dad, I know what you two are doing when we’ve gone off to bed. You giggle like teenagers, and you’re always in a great mood in the morning. I’m glad you’re happy. Besides, you make pancakes when you’re in an extra good mood!”

Robbie’s jaw dropped. “Is that why we had pancakes this morning?”

Gary felt his cheeks turn red. 

“I don’t want to know what you two did, Rob,” Dan said, shaking his head, “but thanks. Those pancakes were delicious.” He picked up the controller again. “Ready?”

“Let’s do this!”

Gary turned away to hide his face. “Erm, I’ll just go and give the lads a call. Maybe we can have them over for dinner.”

“Uh-huh. No! Dan!”

—-

“I feel like we haven’t seen you in months!” Mark chirped as Gary greeted him at the door with a hug. “Are Howard or Rob here yet?”

“No, I told them half past six,” Gary admitted.

“You told me six!”

“Yeah, and you’re twenty minutes late! And there’s Howard pulling up now, ten minutes early. Dougie! How are ya?”

A head of curly hair bounded towards them and pulled the two into a big hug. “I’m loving time with my family, but my kids are mental!”

“I wonder where they get it from,” Gary teased. “Come on, I’ll pour you a glass of wine. Mark, some tea?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Rob will be here soon. He had a meeting with his group from the show.” He led the others into the kitchen and went about making their drinks.

“He’s doing really well on there,” Mark commented. “And he looks so happy and healthy, don’t you think?”

“Not as happy as this one looks.” He gestured toward Gary. “You’re practically glowing, Gaz. Does this have to do with the news you wanted to tell us?”

Gary beamed. “Yeah, it does, but I’ll wait ‘til Rob gets here.”

“Oh, come on! Now you have me curious!”

Howard threw an arm around Gary’s shoulders. “It’s obvious, ain’t it, Marky? A goofy grin like that can only mean our Gaz is in love!”

“Really?” Mark gushed. “Is that true?”

Gary held his hands up. “We really should wait for Rob.”

“It’s true! Who is she?” Mark pressed. “Do we know her?”

Gary shook his head. “Not right now. Kids! Come grab your dinner.” He dished our three plates of vegetable lasagna as his children piled in. “Rob’s going to be late. We can wait on him, but I’d rather you three go ahead and eat,” he explained.

“Will Robbie come and play with me after?” Daisy asked sweetly.

“Maybe not tonight, but I’ll ask him,” Gary promised.

“She loves her Uncle Rob, eh?”

“They’re at the same maturity level,” Howard remarked. Gary elbowed him in the side.

“It’s better than Mark’s kids who call me Grumpy Gary.”

Mark stepped closer to the two and whispered conspiratorially, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you using your kids to change the subject. Who’s the girl? Do we know her? Is she famous?”

Gary nodded.

Howard shook his head. “Who cares about that? How’s she in bed? Gotta be good to have you smiling like that.”

Gary sipped his wine and felt it ease his nerves. “It’s good,” he said simply.

“You’ve got to give us more than that!”

“Alright, alright.” Gary blushed before he even spoke. “Best head I’ve ever had in my life!”

Howard wolf whistled. “Is it one of the Spice Girls? Or one of the Pussycat Dolls? Or o—”

Gary stopped him. “We’re waiting on Rob,” he repeated.

He and Howard had finished their first glasses of wine, and Gary was in the middle of pouring their second when he heard Emily shout from the other room. “Robbie’s home!”

“Home?” Mark pondered aloud.

“Finally! Now we can get some answers out of Gaz!” Howard said, ignoring Mark’s comment.

Robbie appeared in the doorway, stripping off his coat. “Sorry I’m late. Those kids keep getting younger and younger every year! I swear I heard one of their voices drop down an octave when he hit puberty right in front of me!”

“Quiet, Rob!” Howard said as he gave his friend a hug, although his eyes were fixed on Gary. “Gaz here is about to tell us about this new lass he’s been seeing.”

“Oh?” Robbie feigned a surprised demeanor, but Gary could see the mirth in his eyes.

“He’s in love!” Mark added.

“But more importantly, she gives the best blowjobs he’s ever had in his life!”

“Oh really?” Robbie asked with a smirk.

“Yeah,” Gary admitted, smiling back at Rob.

“She?” Robbie walked over to Gary and wrapped his arms around his lover. “Are you two-timing me, Barlow?” He lowered his head and placed a kiss on Gary’s lips.

“I never said ‘she,’” he said in his defense. “They did.”

“Oh my god!” Mark immediately wrapped them both in a hug. “I’m so happy for you two!”

Gary grinned. “Thanks, mate.” He turned to Howard, who was still in shock with his mouth wide open. “You alright, Dougie?”

“Yeah, I’m really happy for you, but he’s really the best head you’ve ever had?” he asked in disbelief. “Him?”

Robbie winked at him.

“Robbie, I finished my dinner. Will you come play with me?” Daisy asked, popping her head in the kitchen.

“He hasn’t eaten his yet, love,” Gary told her.

She pouted. Robbie pouted as well.

Gary sighed. “Ten minutes, and then he has to come down and eat his dinner.”

“You’re the best!” Robbie gave him another kiss before scooping up the child and running upstairs.

Gary laughed and looked at the other two. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

“So you and Rob,” Howard started as they sat down.

“Me and Rob,” Gary confirmed. They heard Daisy squeal from upstairs, and Gary’s eyes lit up as he smiled.

“You’ve got it bad for him!”

Gary buried his face in his hands. “I know! I’m in trouble, lads. I feel like I’m continually falling, and I don’t know when it’s going to stop. I don’t want it to stop. I feel like a teenager again!”

“But it’s Rob!”

“It is Rob. You’d think it’d be complicated with us, but it’s not. It’s like he said before, after you take away all the anger and resentment, all that’s left is the love.” Gary paused and a look of horror spread across his face. “I’m in love with Robbie fucking Williams!”

“Did that just occur to you?” Howard was confused.

“No, we’ve said it to each other before, the L-word, but I’ve always seen it as falling for my mate Rob, not the pop star Robbie Williams.”

“Eh, aren’t they the same person?” 

“I think what Gaz is trying to say,” Mark started, “is he didn’t realize how complicated it would be outside of this cozy little home they’ve made for themselves. Rob’s world is much bigger than this house.”

“Do you think we’re enough for him?” Gary asked timidly.

“He seems happy,” Mark acknowledged.

“But he’s got a very changeable mind,” Howard countered.

Robbie returned with a pink feather boa around his neck. “I think I might take this along with me for my next tour. What do you think?”

“I think you should sit down and eat.” Gary grabbed either end of the boa and pulled Robbie towards him, placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

“Aww,” the other two said in unison. Gary held up two fingers in response.

“So how did this start?” Mark asked.

“Spare us the gory details,” Howard added.

Gary shrugged. “We started spending some time together, and it just felt like a natural progression.”

“He seduced me in the home gym,” Robbie said simply.

“Rob!”

“What?”

“That’s not how it happened,” Gary clarified to the others.

“I seem to remember quite differently.” Robbie crossed his arms defiantly, a smirk playing at his lips.

“I like Rob’s version of the story better,” said Howard with a wink, “but I believe Gaz’s.”

“When did this happen?” Mark asked.

“A few months ago,” Gary admitted.

“Months!” Howard was astonished.

“It’s really not as long as it seems. Rob was in LA for some of that time. We’ve been taking it slow.”

“She said ‘home.’”

“What?” Gary had no idea what Mark was talking about.

“Earlier, Emily said ‘Robbie’s home,’ as in this is his home.”

“Huh, I honestly don’t remember when I started unpacking here rather than at mine.” Robbie slung an arm around Gary. “But yeah, this is my home,” he said happily.

Mark and Howard glanced at each other, sharing their concern. Finally, Mark relented. “If you two are happy, we’re happy for you. Just be careful.”

“My captain takes good care of me!” Robbie said, placing a loud, smacking kiss on Gary’s cheek.


	7. Chapter 7

Days later, Robbie had flown out to LA for a photo shoot. With 8 hours between them, he called the older man just as he was about to go to sleep.

“I’m emailing you some proofs from the shoot. It went pretty well if I do say so myself.”

Gary laughed as he pulled up his laptop. “You didn’t let your massive ego fog up the lens then.”

“Maybe just a tad bit. Gaz?”

There was silence from the other end.

“Gaz, you still there?”

“Yeah,” Gary breathed heavily into the phone.

“Is everything okay?” Robbie asked with genuine concern.

“You didn’t say that you were going to be naked for this shoot.”

“I’ve been naked for all my ‘Under the Radar’ album covers,” he explained.

“Uh-huh.” Gary went silent again.

“Is that a problem?” Robbie prodded.

“No, not at all.” He heard a long breath being drawn.

“Gaz?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you touching yourself?”

Silence. “Maybe.”

“Are you wanking off to my album cover?” Robbie asked, quite bemused.

“I miss that arse,” Gary replied cheekily.

“It’s only been five days.”

“Five days too long. You could have been photographed naked here in London.”

“I’ll be home soon. I’ve just got this meeting with these people from Vegas, and then I’ll be on the next flight out.”

Gary frowned. “What about Vegas?”

“I don’t know. Josie said they wanted to offer me a residency there.”

“Residency? For how long?”

“That’s what the meeting is for. A few months maybe.”

“Months!” Gary exclaimed.

“I probably won’t accept their offer, but management wants me to hear them out.”

“What do you mean ‘probably?’” Gary didn’t like the sound of that.

“Don’t worry about it, Gaz. I won’t do anything without discussing it with you first,” Robbie assured.

Gary sighed. “It's a great opportunity. You shouldn’t pass on it because of me.”

“I said not to worry about it. We don’t even know the details yet. Go back to wanking off.”

“Just come home soon.” Robbie swore he could hear Gary pouting.

“I will, babe.”

Silence.

“Gaz, are you wanking off again?”

“You told me to!”


	8. Chapter 8

Robbie arrived home to a quiet house. He knew Gary was picking Daisy up from a friend’s house. Dan was at a football match. Emily, however, should have been home. 

He climbed the steps, dropped his bag off by the guest room, and knocked on Emily’s door. He heard noises shuffling around before Emily cracked the door open.

“Robbie! What are you doing here?” She seemed surprised to see him.

“My flight got in early.” He eyed her curiously.

“Oh, um, Dad won’t be home for a little bit.”

“I know. Are you alright? You seem a little flustered.”

“Everything’s fine!” she said a little too quickly. “Do you want a cup of tea? Let’s go downstairs, and I’ll make you a cuppa.” She squeezed through the crack and pulled the door closed behind her.

She pulled at Robbie’s hand, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he pushed her door open and entered her room.

“Robbie!”

He paced around her room before sitting on her bed. “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing!” she said indignantly.

“Oh?” He peered beneath her bed and came face to face with a young lad. “Then who is this?”

“He’s just a friend!”

“A friend you hide under your bed?”

The boy crawled out from his hiding spot. “Hi, Mr. Williams. I’m—”

Robbie cut him off. “I don’t care what your name is. Get out,” he said sternly.

“Robbie!”

“I’m sorry. That was rude of me. Please, get out,” he reiterated.

Robbie followed the boy down the stairs to ensure he left the premises. He closed the front door and locked it.

“You had no right to do that!” Emily screamed.

“You shouldn’t be hiding boys in your room!”

“Do you know how embarrassing that was? To have Robbie Williams throw a friend out of my house?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you shouldn’t be having boys over when nobody’s home,” he said in a calmer voice.

“You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not my dad!” Her eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth.

Robbie felt the wind knocked out of him. “You’re right. I’m not your dad,” he said sadly. “I’m sorry I interfered.”

She grabbed his hand. “Rob, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay.” He swallowed the tightness in his throat. “I think I’m just going to go back to mine for tonight.”

“No! Please stay. I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright, love. I’m tired from traveling anyways.” He pulled his hand away and unlocked the door.

“Robbie, please don’t go!” 

He turned back toward her and could see tears forming in her eyes. He could feel his own threatening to fall. He kissed her cheek. “I love you, Em,” he said before leaving.

Emily threw herself on the couch and started crying. Tears were still falling down her cheeks when she heard the door open.

“Robbie?” she said hopefully as she rushed to the foyer.

“It’s just us,” Gary announced, leading Daisy through the door. He took in the sight of his older daughter. “What’s wrong, Em?”

She threw her arms around him. “Daddy, I’m so sorry! I did something stupid.”

Gary held her tightly. “Whatever it is, we’ll work it out together.”

She backed away from him slightly. “Robbie came home early.” Gary’s face lit up as he looked around for his partner. “He found me in my room with a boy,” she continued. Gary’s smile turned into a scowl. “And he threw him out. I got angry and told him he didn’t have a right to do that because he’s not my dad.” Her voice trailed off at the end, too afraid to finish.

“Oh, Em, you didn’t!”

“I did. I’m so sorry, Dad. I regretted it the moment I said it!”

Gary sighed. “He’ll be alright. He knows more than anyone what it’s like to speak first and think later. Where is he now?”

“He said he was going back to his flat for the night.” She could see the disappointment in his face.

Gary pulled out his phone and dialed. “Voicemail,” he said, hanging up. He tapped his phone against his leg nervously. “Can you watch your sister? I’ll go over there and bring him home.”

“I want to go with you.”

“Me too!” Daisy piped up.

Gary smiled at his children. “Okay, let’s go,” he said, ushering them out the door.

“Are you worried?” Emily asked while they were in the car.

Gary bit his lip. “Rob was offered a four-month residency in Vegas next year. We were going to discuss it tonight. I just don’t want him making any decisions out of a place of hurt.”

Emily nodded. “We can’t let him leave us for four months.”

Robbie looked like he had been crying when he answered the door. Gary immediately took him into his arms. “She didn’t mean it,” he whispered soothingly.

“She’s right though. I don’t have a place in your family.”

“Of course you’re part of this family!” Gary tried to kiss him, but Robbie turned his head so that his lips landed on his cheek rather than his mouth. “Rob…”

“I just want to be alone tonight.”

“No, I’m afraid that’s not an option. You’re coming home with us. That’s what it means to be a part of this family. We don’t give up on each other.” Gary pulled at his hand. Daisy stepped up and pulled at his other hand. Finally, Robbie gave in and let himself be dragged to the car.

“Rob,” Emily said timidly as they drove. She put a hand on his shoulder cautiously. “You’re not my dad. You’re in your own league. You don’t love us because you have to; you love us because you want to. You complete this family.”

Robbie put his hand on top of hers and held it. The smile he gave her didn’t quite reach his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

“I still don’t understand why I can’t go with you tonight. I wrote the bloody thing!”

Robbie stopped in the middle of getting dressed to kiss his boyfriend. “She just wanted it to be the two of us. She still feels bad for the other night. It’ll be good bonding time for us. Besides, you’ve seen Calendar Girls a million times already.”

Gary hugged him close. “I can’t help but feel slightly offended that _ my _ boyfriend and _ my _ daughter are going to see _ my _ musical without me.”

Robbie kissed him and then wriggled out of his embrace to continue getting dressed. “We’ll be back late. Whoever wrote the musical wrote some bloody long songs,” he teased.

“And you better enjoy every last minute of it!” Gary retorted. He adjusted Robbie’s tie. “Have fun.”

A knock came at their door. “Ready, Rob?” Emily called out.

Robbie opened the door. “Yes, ma’am. Let’s go!” He offered her his arm, and they descended the stairs together. As they left for the theatre, he called out, “Dan, look after your dad! Don’t let him get in too much trouble without me.”

The young man laughed from the sitting room. “I can only do so much!”

“Hey!” Gary protested. He poured himself a glass of wine and sat with Dan on the couch to watch a television program. “He’s turned you all against me.”

Dan shrugged. “He said he’d take me onto the pitch during Soccer Aid.”

“I gave you life!”

His son smiled at him. “We only love him so much because we see how happy he makes you.”

Gary slung an arm around his son. “That he does,” he said with a goofy grin.

A ring at the door interrupted them. 

“Who could that be?” Gary inquired as he got up and opened the door. He gasped. “Jesus!”

“Who is it, Dad?” Dan asked worriedly, popping up from his seat to join his father. He stopped in his tracks as he reached the foyer. “Mum!”

“Hello, Dan. Gary, can I come in?”

Gary stepped aside wordlessly. Dawn walked in, shouldering an overnight bag. Gary recognized it as the same one she had left with all those years ago.

She hugged their son and looked around. “Where are your sisters?”

“Daisy’s at a sleepover, and Em went to go see a West End show,” Dan replied mechanically.

She gave his hand a squeeze and then turned to her husband. “Can we talk?”

He nodded, still unable to speak, and led her into the dining room. He poured them each a glass of wine and sat across from her, waiting for her to start.

She took a sip. “How are you?”

Gary shook his head. “Let’s skip the pleasantries. What are you doing here?”

She played with the rim of her glass. “You’re my husband. This is our home. We have a family.”

“You left us almost six years ago!”

“I realize now that was a mistake,” she said calmly. “I should have stayed and fought for our marriage.”

“There was nothing to fight for! I was committed to you!” Gary’s eyes were wide and wild. “You accused me of having an affair and refused to listen to reason.”

“You weren’t there, Gary!” Her voice was distressed. “You were there physically, but your heart and your mind were still on tour. I couldn’t figure it out for the longest time. You weren’t 100 percent happy when we got married. I thought it was because your career had dwindled. But then when the band reformed and you had success, you still weren’t completely happy. Then Robbie came back, and you were finally whole. I thought it was because you two had finally put the past behind you, but when he left again, that dark cloud formed above you. You sulked for months! I finally understood, and I couldn’t take it. Do you know what it’s like to not be the one who makes your husband complete? That someone else makes him whole?”

“We never did anything,” he said steadfastly.

“I saw you check your email religiously. Your face would light up every time you heard from him.”

“I never cheated on you,” he protested.

“An affair of the heart is so much worse than a purely physical relationship. Don’t tell me you don’t have feelings for him.”

They stared each other down before Gary finally spoke. “If you left because I have feelings for Rob, why are you here now?”

“I want my family back,” she said resolutely.

“You don’t get to decide that after six years!”

“Have you moved on?” she questioned.

Unable to answer her truthfully, Gary stood up. “I can’t have this discussion with you right now. Let’s sleep on it. You can take the master bedroom.” He downed the rest of his wine and took the bottle with him as he left for the guest room. 

“Dad,” Dan called out as he passed the sitting room.

“Sorry, mate, I’m going to call it an early night.”

“But what about… you-know-who?”

Gary glanced down at his phone to check the time. “They’ll still be at the show. Their phones will be off.”

“I might wait up for them, so they’re not blindsided when they get home.”

Gary smiled sadly. “You’re a good lad.” He looked behind him. “You can spend some time with your mum if you’d like. It won’t bother me.”

Dan shook his head. “Maybe tomorrow. I’m still trying to process it myself.”

Gary held up his bottle. “Yeah, me too. Goodnight, mate.”

“Goodnight, Dad.”

Dan continued to watch telly. He heard some shifting around upstairs and frowned. His dad was so happy just a few hours ago; they all were. He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but he woke up on the couch with Robbie gently shaking him.

“Hey, mate, it’s late. You might be more comfortable in your own bed.”

Dan blinked a few times, trying to remember why he was asleep on the couch. By the time his grogginess wore off, Robbie was already halfway up the stairs with Emily.

“Rob, wait!” he called out, chasing after them. “There’s something you both need to know.”

It was too late. Robbie opened the guest room door and felt a stabbing pain in his heart. Emily gasped in horror.

In the bed that they shared, Gary was lying asleep with Dawn. Even with the duvet spread over the two of them, it was quite obvious that they were both naked under the sheets, their clothes strewn all over the floor.

Dan finally caught up with them, and his eyes widened at the sight. “That wasn’t what I needed to tell you,” he whispered. “They were both in separate rooms when I fell asleep. I would have stopped it had I known, Rob.” 

Robbie nodded, still taking in the sight in front of him. 

“Robbie, I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for this,” Emily tried to reason, not quite believing it herself. He could hear the panic rising in her voice. “We’ll just wake Dad up, and he can explain.”

“No need,” he said calmly. He walked into the room and headed straight for the closet to pull out his suitcase.

“Rob, what are you doing?” Emily asked in distress as she watched him throw his clothes haphazardly into the suitcase. “You can’t just leave!” She went to go shake her father awake. “Dad, wake up!”

Gary groaned as he awoke. “Em, can you quiet down? Daddy’s head is hurting,” he grumbled into the pillow.

“Dad, get up, and fix this!” she shrieked.

“What?” Gary rolled over and took in his surroundings. At the edge of the bed sat his daughter, worry plastered all over her face. Her brother stood behind her, staring at him in disgust. Beside him was his wife, slowing stirring. Finally, on the other side of the room was Robbie packing his bags, not paying him any attention. 

Robbie! His stomach lurched. He looked back at his wife. What had he done? The last thing he remembered was finishing his bottle of wine and hearing a knock at his door and then a familiar body against his own. “Oh god. Rob…”

Robbie ignored him. “Dan, can you hand me my laptop and charger? Thanks.”

Emily grabbed her brother’s wrist. “What are you doing? You’re helping him leave us!”

Dan shook free of her and grabbed Robbie’s laptop. He walked it over to the brunette. “I’m helping him pack, and then I’m going to pack myself. I’m going with him.”

“Guys,” Gary said, “no one’s going anywhere. Can I just have a moment alone with Rob?”

“No.” It was the first word he had said to Gary. It had no malice behind it. In fact, Robbie’s expression was so blank that the only thing Gary could see was a hint of disappointment. He finished zipping up his suitcase. “If you guys want to come, that’s fine. I’ll be downstairs waiting for my cab.”

“No need,” said Dan. “I’ll drive.” He left the room to go pack. Emily followed, leaving the three adults in the room.

“Rob…” Gary stumbled as he got out of bed. Robbie could now see that he was in fact naked with his wife. Gary looked around for his clothes. Robbie stopped short of the door. “Please don’t go.”

Robbie sighed. “You’re still drunk. Please don’t try to follow us.” With that, he left, leaving Gary alone with Dawn, who had finally awakened but remained silent.

Dan drove them to Robbie’s flat. The ride over was quiet, everyone still trying to process what they had seen.

“You know he’ll be here first thing in the morning,” Dan finally said as he pulled up to the building, “if not sooner.”

“Maybe I’ll know what to say to him by that time.”

Emily reached out and held his hand. “He loves you. He was just drunk. It was a mistake.”

He squeezed her hand. “That doesn’t change the fact that your mother’s back. Is it really cheating if he’s still married to her?” he pondered. He led them into the flat. “There are two rooms over there,” he pointed. “I’ll be in here.” He nodded to the door in front of him. “Thanks for being here.”

“We love you, Rob,” Emily said, hugging him.

“I’ll try to hold him off in the morning,” Dan offered.

They both disappeared into their rooms, leaving Robbie by himself. He entered his room, dropped his bags down, and collapsed on his bed.

The next morning, Robbie could hear voices yelling downstairs. He couldn’t hear the entire conversation, but he heard distinctive words: mum, cheating, drunk, Robbie. He pulled the covers over his head and tried to ignore the outside world.

He heard loud cursing and then footsteps running up the stairs. Preparing himself for the inevitable, he pulled the covers off and waited. Seconds later, his door opened, and Gary stepped in, slammed the door shut behind him, and locked it. He was breathless from outrunning Dan, who was on the other side, banging on the door.

“We need to talk,” Gary said between breaths.

Robbie crossed his arms and looked down. “I don’t think we do.”

“I made a mistake last night.”

“She’s your wife. You have every right to sleep with her.”

Gary sat down at the edge of the bed. “That’s not what I want.”

“Could have fooled me.” Robbie laughed bitterly. “In fact, you did. I was a fool to believe that this would work.”

Gary tucked a finger under his chin, forcing Robbie to look up at him. “I love you.”

Robbie shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Dawn being back doesn’t change the fact that we love each other.”

“Sleeping with her does!”

“I’m sorry.” Gary leaned in to try to kiss Robbie, but the younger man turned his head away. “We can work this out.”

“No, we can’t.” When Robbie turned back towards him, there were tears in his eyes. “My dad left my family when I was four, the same age Daisy was when Dawn left. This is your opportunity to make things right for her. I don’t want her to grow up not knowing who her family is.”

“You’re family!”

Robbie scoffed. “Look at you guys. The five of you are golden-haired and clean-cut to perfection.” He gestured to himself. “I don’t belong.”

“Rob…”

Robbie pointed at the clock. “You need to go pick up Daisy from her sleepover. I’ll send Dan and Emily back after breakfast.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” Gary pleaded, grabbing at Robbie’s hands.

Robbie pulled them back. “I’m flying to LA this afternoon. I’m accepting the Vegas offer.”

“You can’t! How are we supposed to make things work if you’re halfway across the world?”

Robbie got out of bed and opened the door. “You should go.”

Emily and Dan were standing outside the door. “You’re leaving us?” Emily cried.

“I’ll still be back for Soccer Aid and to finish filming X-Factor. You two should go home, reconnect with your mother.” 

“Dad, you can’t let him do this!”

Gary was still sitting on the bed, unable to process what Robbie was saying. How had things gone so wrong in a span of 12 hours?

“Dad!” Emily’s voice brought him out of his reverie.

“Don’t go,” was all he could say.

Robbie ran a hand over his face. “I should get ready. I’ve got a long flight ahead of me.”


	10. Chapter 10

Gary watched Twitter and Instagram for any sightings of Robbie over the next few weeks. Of the few posts he had seen, the other man was still in LA filming for the show.

He had sent flowers, chocolates, and music, all of which were met with silence. 

Daisy had thrown a fit when she discovered that Robbie had left and was replaced by a strange woman she only remembered from pictures. Their relationship was rocky at best, as was Dawn’s with Gary. They were friendly and amicable, but he kept his distance when the kids weren’t around. They didn’t talk about that night, and Gary preferred it that way. She knew he had a relationship with Robbie that ended abruptly at her return, but she didn’t ask for anymore details.

Gary was in his studio checking his emails when one in particular caught his eye. He opened it and then slammed his laptop shut. He picked up his mug of tea and hurled it against the wall. “Fuck!”

Emily came racing in. “Dad, what’s wrong?” She looked at the broken ceramic on the ground.

“Leave it. I’ll get it later.” He waved her off.

“What’s wrong?” she asked again. “Did you hear from Rob?” He started crying at the hopefulness in her voice. She hugged him close. “Dad?”

He opened the laptop back up and pointed at the email.

“‘Your ring is ready for pick up,’” she read aloud. “What ring?”

Gary hiccuped and cleared his throat. “When Rob left the band the first time, he gave me a ring. I found it a few weeks ago and was having a duplicate made for him. I wanted him to officially be a part of this family.”

Emily gasped. “Were you going to ask him to marry you?”

Gary nodded meekly. “The lawyer had already drawn up the divorce papers. I was just waiting for the right time. Then it all went to shit!” He buried his face in his hands.

“Dad, you need to tell him this!”

“He won’t answer my calls, texts, or emails,” Gary said hopelessly.

Emily smiled. “Let me take care of that. You should go get ready for Daisy’s recital.” She rushed out of the room.

Gary followed and was met with the sound of his other daughter screaming. “What’s going on?” he asked as he rounded the corner to the kitchen.

“I don’t want her there tonight,” Daisy said, pointing at Dawn. “I want Robbie!”

Gary smiled apologetically at his wife and knelt down to his daughter. “Robbie’s in LA, sweetheart.”

“He hasn’t missed any of my recitals since he started coming to them! What did I do wrong?” Her lips were quivering.

Gary’s heart broke for her. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I did. He’s angry at me.”

“Then apologize!”

“I’ve tried.”

“No, you haven’t! He’d be here if you did!” She stomped off to her room.

Gary stood and looked at Dawn. “Give her time. She’s just not used to you being around yet.”

“Neither are you,” she replied before leaving the room as well.

Gary shook his head sadly and went to go change.

They arrived at the recital early and found seats near the front. Emily excused herself when she saw a friend, and Dan sat back and played on his phone.

Dawn shifted in her seat next to Gary. “Thank you for taking me here, even if it was against Daisy’s wishes.”

He patted the top of her hand. “You’re her mother. Nothing is going to change that.” She took his hand between the two of hers and smiled.

As the recital started, Gary noticed that his youngest was much happier than when they had left. She smiled brightly as she danced and kept looking to the side of the stage. He followed her gaze, which landed on one Robbie Williams watching her from behind the curtains, Emily beside him. Gary’s face lit up when their eyes met only to receive a glare in return. The younger man turned his eyes back to the stage and didn’t look at him for the rest of the night. Emily just shook her head at him disapprovingly.

Gary looked down to see his hand still in Dawn’s. “Shit,” he exhaled.

When the recital ended, Gary raced backstage to find Robbie.

“He left already, Dad,” Daisy told him, holding a handful of daisies. “He gave me these and said he had to go.”

Emily walked past him without looking at him. “I’ll be in the car.”


	11. Chapter 11

Gary phoned the producers of X-Factor the next morning. After three seasons as a judge, he remained in their good graces, and he managed to secure himself a backstage pass for that night’s show.

That night, while Robbie was filming, Gary snuck into his dressing room and waited. Robbie finally walked in and a brief smile flashed across his face before it quickly faded. After the initial shock of finding Gary in his dressing room, Robbie immediately began gathering his belongings.

“Rob, we need to talk. What you saw last night…”

“...was one big, happy family,” Robbie completed for him.

“It wasn’t like that.” Gary took his bag from his hands and set it aside.

“It doesn’t matter what it was like. It doesn’t involve me.” Robbie turned away and continued putting things in his bag. It was all too familiar to Gary.

He grabbed Robbie’s arm and spun him around. “Of course it involves you. I love you! The kids love you!”

He looked into Robbie’s intense gaze and could feel the anger and the want at the same time. The taller man stepped forward and captured his lips with his own. Gary moaned into the kiss, and it was what Robbie needed to spur him on. He pushed Gary against the dressing room table and began undoing his trousers. Once they were pushed down and out of the way along with his boxers, he turned Gary around and bent him over the table. Gary looked in the mirror and saw Robbie undoing his own trousers.

His heart dropped at the sound of a condom wrapper being ripped. They hadn’t used one in months. The trust was gone, and that was his fault. Rough fingers pushed in and out of him quickly before they were replaced by Robbie’s cock. It was angry sex. Robbie made no pretenses about that. The way he gripped Gary’s hips made the older man sure he was going to see bruises there the next day. He ploughed in and out roughly, not giving Gary time to adjust. He was blurring the lines of pain and pleasure, but it was frankly more than Gary thought he deserved.

Their eyes locked in the mirror. Gary could see all the hurt and pain reflected in Robbie's eyes, but for a brief moment, he swore he could still see the love before the younger man’s eyes fluttered closed. Gary pushed back, needing to feel Robbie deeper inside him. 

“Don’t stop,” he pleaded. “Please… need you…”

Robbie slammed harder and harder, shaking the table with every thrust. Gary reached down and jerked himself in time with Robbie’s hips pushing into him. He threw his head back onto Robbie’s shoulder, and the other man nipped at the sensitive spot behind his ear. It was enough to send him over the edge. He came in spurts across the table. Robbie slammed into him once more, and Gary felt him spasming deep inside him.

They remained still for a moment before Robbie pulled out with a grunt. Gary turned around and pulled him into a breathless kiss.

“That was—”

“Not supposed to happen,” Robbie finished as he began to clean himself off. “I shouldn’t have let it happen. It was a moment of weakness.”

“Don’t say that! We obviously still love each other.”

Robbie shook his head. “It was break-up sex. That’s all.”

Gary stood his ground. “I don’t believe you. It’s never been just sex between us.”

“Believe what you want,” Robbie said, zipping himself back up. “Just wipe off the table before you leave.”

“Rob…”

“What do you want from me, Gaz?”

“Forgiveness. A second chance.” Gary tried his best not to sound desperate.

“You have a second chance. Go make things right with your family.”

“I meant with us. We can be a family.”

Robbie sighed. “I can’t do that right now. As much as I want to, I can’t.”

“I’m not giving up,” Gary said resolutely.

“You wouldn’t be Gary Barlow if you did.”

Gary cupped his cheek in the palm of his hand. “Don’t shut me out.”

Robbie leaned into the touch. “It’d be so easy to just fall into you arms and pretend like nothing happened. But I can’t.” He pulled away from the other man and picked up his bag. “Close the door on your way out.” 

With that, Gary was left alone, clothes still disheveled and heart still broken.


	12. Chapter 12

“I don’t particularly feel like going to an award show,” Gary told his manager Chris on the phone. “Things have been kind of crazy at home.”

“What better way to escape the craziness then?” his manager reasoned.

“I’m not even nominated for anything. I’d just be sitting there twiddling my thumbs.”

“But it’d be a great photo op — you and Rob.”

Gary paused. “Rob’s going to be there?”

“Yeah, him and all the other X-Factor judges.”

“Can you get me a seat next to him?” Gary asked, feeling the excitement rise within him.

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Chris assured.

“Okay then,” Gary agreed. “I’ll smile and look pretty for the cameras.”

“Perfect! I’ll email you the information.”

Gary set about finding the perfect outfit for the show, something Robbie couldn’t resist. It had to hug in all the right places and accentuate his best features. He wanted the brunette to take one look at him and remember how well their bodies fit together. 

“Go with the blue suit,” Emily said as she walked by his room. “It brings out your eyes.”

“You think so?” he asked, holding the suit up to his body.

“Trust me. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you,” she said with a wink.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Gary replied.

“Are you going out?” Dawn asked, walking up behind Emily.

“An award show,” Gary answered.

“Oh. Are you going by yourself?” She leaned against the doorframe.

“Yeah.”

“But Rob will be there,” Emily added.

Dawn mustered a smile. “Well, you’ll definitely get his attention with that suit.”

“Why don’t you have a night out with the kids that day? Spend some time with them.”

“Dad…” Emily warned.

He begged her with his eyes.

“We’d love to,” she finished.

“Are you sure?” Dawn asked hopefully. “We haven’t spent much time together without your dad around. I know you’re not comfortable with the idea of having me around just yet.”

“No, it’s fine, Mum. We can have dinner or something.” Emily walked up to her dad with the guise of examining the suit. “You better make things work with him,” she whispered before walking off, leaving Gary and Dawn alone together.

“So Robbie…” she started.

“I’m sorry, Dawn.”

“I didn’t want to be right about that.”

“We never did anything until years after you left,” he reiterated.

“So where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know. I never stopped loving you, Dawn, but—”

She held up her hand to stop him. “I know. I knew before you did.” She started to walk away. “Thanks for encouraging the kids to spend time with me. Have fun at the award show.”

On the night of the show, Gary walked down the red carpet in a pale blue three-piece Prada suit. His eyes searched the crowd for England’s biggest pop star. He found Robbie being interviewed by an overenthusiastic blonde with no sense of personal space and hurried over to save him.

He wrapped an arm around Robbie and smiled for the camera. “So sorry, Rob and I have to go find our seats.” He gently guided Robbie away.

“Thanks. She was about to give me a panic attack.”

“I could tell.”

They stopped inside the building and waited to be ushered to their seats. Gary saw a pair of green eyes looking him up and down.

“You look good.”

Gary shoved his hands in his pockets to pull his trousers tightly around his arse. He watched as Robbie’s eyes drifted downward. “I was hoping you’d notice.”

“How could I not?” Robbie whispered, his tongue darting out of his mouth to moisten his lips.

“Mr. Williams,” an usher said as he walked up to them. “Let me show you to your seat. Mr. Barlow, someone will be right with you to show you yours.”

Gary brow furrowed. “Wait, aren’t we sitting next to each other?”

The young man checked his clipboard. “Not according to this seating chart.”

“Enjoy the show, Gaz,” Robbie said with a sad smile.

After Robbie walked off with his usher, Gary grabbed the next usher he could find. He handed her a hundred quid. “I don’t care who you have to move; get me a seat next to Robbie Williams.”

She walked off and quickly returned with a smile. “Right this way.”

He followed her to the empty seat next to Robbie.

“Gaz! I thought you were sitting somewhere else.” Robbie’s eyes checked him out again.

“Clerical error.” He took his seat, making sure to press his arm against Robbie’s on their shared armrest.

Robbie shifted uncomfortably in his seat and cleared his throat. “Have you two ever met?”

Gary looked over to the other side of Robbie.

“Nicole, Gary. Gary, Nicole.”

“Nicole? As in your ex?” Gary nevertheless shook her hand.

“Yep.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gary. I just go by Nicole now. I dropped the ‘Robbie’s ex’ part from my name years ago.”

Robbie giggled at the joke, which made Gary grimace inwardly. Outwardly, he smiled and exchanged pleasantries, asking about her band and her child. He watched as her hand found Robbie’s knee, shaking it to get his attention.

“You haven’t been in the news much lately. I would have expected more since you joined X-Factor. You’re doing great on the show, by the way.” Her tone was all flattery.

Robbie shrugged. “Not much going on really.”

“Are you seeing anyone?” The hand moved to his arm, drawing light circles on his forearm.

“No. Actually, I just broke up with someone,” he said quietly.

She clutched his wrist. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” Gary didn’t think she sounded sorry at all.

As the show started, she kept her hand on his wrist. Gary watched as she whispered in Robbie’s ear and he laughed in response. When it happened again, Gary jumped out of his seat and walked off.

He found the men’s room and went to splash water on his face. “What am I doing?” he asked himself, wiping the droplets from his chin.

The door creaked behind him. “Gaz?”

He turned to see Robbie popping his head in, his face full of worry. He edged closer to Gary hesitantly.

“You left in such a hurry. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” The younger man pulled a towel from the dispenser and handed it to him.

“You seemed to be doing just fine out there without me.”

Robbie frowned. “What does that mean?”

“You’re flirting with your ex right in front of me!”

“Nic? We’re just being friendly.”

“If that’s what you want to call it…”

Robbie crossed his arms. “What difference does it make? We’re not together anymore.”

“You’ve made that painfully clear. Why does she get a second chance, but I don’t?”

“Who says I’m giving her a second chance?”

Gary looked down. “You’re being friendly, and you two have all that history.”

“And what, you and I just met? You were the one who drove me home after my first bender at a nightclub when I was sixteen. Remember? I vomited right before we got to the car.”

Gary shook his head. “It’s not the same. She carried your child.”

Robbie scoffed. “That’s funny. That’s how I feel about Dawn.”

“How do I compete with that?” Gary asked despondently.

“Who says you have to compete? What are you even competing for?” Robbie brought a hand to his temple and sighed. “If it’s for my affections, there’s no competition. You still have my heart, hands down,” he admitted.

Gary’s face brightened. “Really?” He ventured a step closer to the brunette.

“Don’t act like you didn’t know.” Robbie seemed annoyed with himself. “And don’t think this means I’m giving you another chance.”

Gary grinned. “You still love me.” He was amazed.

“It doesn’t mean anything’s changed.”

Gary stepped closer until their chests were touching. He leaned up so Robbie could feel his breath against his chin. “Of course it does. It means I can still hope.” He stole a quick peck on the lips and backed away.

“Gaz…” came a warning.

“I’ll meet you back out there. I just have to get cleaned up.” He flashed a cheeky grin at Robbie. “Unless you want to…” He tilted his head over to the empty stalls.

A glimmer of lust flashed in those green eyes as they looked his body up and down once again. The younger man licked his lips. “I’ll see you back out there,” he said with reluctance before turning around to leave.

Gary joined him back at their seats with a newfound confidence. He intentionally bent over to tie his shoe and winked when he saw Robbie staring at his bum.

“Let’s go back to yours tonight,” he breathed into the taller man’s ear when they all stood to clap. It wasn’t a request. Robbie merely nodded.

He saw Nicole whisper something into Robbie’s ear and smiled smugly when the other man shook his head at her and leaned his weight back toward Gary.

“You’re enjoying this far too much,” Robbie commented when he saw the look on Gary’s face.

“I’m just a fool in love,” he replied happily.

Robbie practically dragged him up the stairs when they arrived at his flat after the show. Gary pushed him onto the bed and straddled him. He began undoing Robbie’s trousers.

“Condoms and lube in the top drawer,” Robbie said between pants.

Gary made a face but leaned over to grab the supplies nonetheless. After preparing them both, he lowered himself slowly onto Robbie, eliciting a loud moan from the younger man. They made love slowly until they were both sweaty and breathless. Gary collapsed onto Robbie, and they fell asleep entangled in each other’s limbs.

They awoke to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Gary groaned as Robbie unwrapped himself from his body.

“Shit, what day is it?”

“Monday,” Gary mumbled, still half-asleep.

“Shit!” He scrambled to get dressed. “I know who’s at the door.”

“Who?” Gary asked curiously.

“Your son.” Robbie ran out the door and down the stairs. “Dan!” he said loudly as he threw open the door. “I’m almost ready.”

The younger man laughed. “Really? Because you look like you just woke up. Don’t worry, I’m early. I kind of expected that I would have to wake you up.”

Robbie shrugged. “Award show nights,” he explained. He led Dan into the kitchen and started the kettle.

“I know. My dad didn’t even come home last night. You didn’t happen to see him there, did you?”

“Um…” He glanced at the stairs.

Dan’s eyes widened. “No way! Way to go, Dad!” he shouted up the stairs.

Gary slunk down the stairs sheepishly. He was wrapped in one of Robbie’s robes.

“What’re you doing here, Dan?”

“I could ask you the same thing!” his son sniggered. “Are you two back together?”

“No.”

“Maybe.”

Robbie and Gary spoke at the same time.

“It’s complicated,” Robbie said as he poured out three cups of coffee. “I should go get ready.” He took his mug with him and disappeared up the stairs.

Dan turned his attention back to his dad. “Well?” he said expectantly.

Gary smiled. “We’re making progress. So what are you doing here?”

“Rob said he’d take me to his Soccer Aid meeting. Jamie Redknapp’s going to be there.”

“Oh, he was great when he played for Liverpool!” Gary sat next to his son and sipped his coffee. “I’m glad you and Rob can still have a relationship even after I mucked everything up.”

Dan grinned at him. “You seem to be doing alright making it up to him.”

Gary bit his lip. “He told me he still loves me. I know he doesn’t trust me, but we can work on that as long as the love is still there.”

“I’m happy for you, Dad. But what about Mum?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I just know I can’t lose Rob again.”

Robbie returned, showered and dressed. “Let’s go, Danny Boy!”

Gary walked up to him and smoothed down a stray hair. “I’ll lock up when I leave,” he said with a quick kiss.

“Erm, yeah,” Robbie said, shifting uncomfortably.

Dan took the hint and led them out the door.

Gary sat with his coffee and pondered ways to show Robbie his affections. Finally, an idea dawned upon him, and he set about digging through the cupboards.

When Robbie returned that night, he found his fridge stocked with a week’s worth of precooked meals and a note saying, “I love you!”

He smiled and pulled a curry out.


	13. Chapter 13

Gary returned later that week with a DVD and a bag of takeaway.

“They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” he said cheekily. “Daisy’s been practicing a routine. She wanted you to see it.”

He popped the DVD into the player and snuggled next to Robbie on the couch. Robbie recognized the song immediately.

“She didn’t! Was this your idea?”

On the screen, Daisy was dancing to “Angels,” her delicate movements syncing in time with Robbie’s voice.

“It was all her idea,” Gary said proudly. “I just helped her record it.”

Robbie buried his face in Gary’s shoulder after the last chord. “Can we watch it again? I’ve missed her so much!”

Gary rubbed his back lovingly. “You don’t have to be a stranger. I’ve talked to Dawn. There’s room in Daisy’s life for all of us.”

“Oh right. Mummy, Daddy, and Daddy’s boyfriend,” he said sarcastically.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Gary pulled him closer.

“Ex-boyfriend,” Robbie corrected himself, but he didn’t pull away.

“I like the sound of ‘boyfriend’ better,” Gary said as he restarted the video.

They made love again that night, Robbie’s legs wrapped tightly around Gary’s waist as the older man slowly worshiped his body. He held Robbie close as he came, spasming between their torsos.

When he awoke in Robbie’s arms, the younger man was staring at him, his face construed in thought.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, kissing the tattoos on each of his fingers, spelling out LOVE.

“I’m thinking about selling this place,” Robbie said, looking around the room. “I’ll be in the States for a lot of next year anyways.”

Gary gripped onto his hand tightly. “I think you should do what makes you happy.” His voice couldn’t mask his disappointment.

“You sure?”

Gary sat up and crossed his arms. “Of course. I want you to be happy,” he pouted, “but I want to be the one who makes you happy. I can’t exactly do that when you’re halfway around the world!”

“Gaz, it’s for the best.”

“How? How is it for the best?”

“This.” Robbie waved a hand between the two of them. “What we’ve been doing, we both know it’s not going to last.”

“No, we don’t!” Gary protested. “I’m in this for the long haul.”

“You’re not. You’re sleeping with me, and then you’re going right back to her to be one big happy family.”

“You are a part of that family.”

“No, I’m not.”

Gary hugged himself. “What’s it going to take for you to believe me?”

“You’re torn between your duty to your wife and whatever it is you feel about me.”

“She just got back. I can’t just kick her to the curb. We have children together.”

“Exactly.” Robbie looked down at his hands. “You know how I feel about you, but your children are more important to me than anything. I won’t be the one who tears their family apart.”

“How many times do I have to tell you you’re part of this family? If you leave, you will be tearing the family apart.”

“Gaz…”

“I won’t stop you, but I want you to give it a lot of thought before you make this decision.”

Robbie kissed the side of his head. “I will.”

—-

Gary returned home in a panic. Emily found him in the sitting room on the couch with his head between his knees.

“Dad?”

He looked up, breathing heavily. “He’s leaving! He’s selling his flat. I have to stop him, but I don’t know how.”

She sat next to him and patted his knee. “We’ll figure it out.” She called out for her brother and sister, who joined them in the sitting room.

“You can’t let him leave, Daddy!” Daisy demanded when she heard the situation.

“I could steal his passport,” Dan offered.

“We can all march over there and talk him into staying,” Emily chimed in.

Dawn stepped into the room. “I could leave again,” she said.

Gary shook his head. “Out of the question.”

“You were all happier before I returned.”

“That’s not true. The kids need you.”

“But you don’t,” she said sadly.

“Mum,” Emily said. “Why don’t you sit down. We’ve been needing to have this talk for a while. Maybe we can all work something out.”

Dawn joined them, and they talked until they reached a compromise.


	14. Chapter 14

“Hello?”

“Have you made a decision about selling your flat?” Gary asked over the phone.

“No, not yet,” Robbie answered.

“I think you should.”

“You do?” Robbie was surprised.

“Do you have time to meet with my realtor friend today?”

“I guess I’ll have some time in an hour or so,” he replied hesitantly.

“Great! I’ll text you the address.”

Robbie walked up to a house with a “for sale” sign posted in the driveway. He saw Gary’s car, so he knew he was at the right place.

“Hello?” he called out, popping his head in the doorway.

“Rob! Come on in! The realtor just stepped outside to make a call,” Gary said with a bright smile. “What do you think of the place?”

Robbie looked around. “It’s nice, but I’m not looking to buy another place.”

“No, but I am.”

“What?”

He didn’t have time for an answer. The kids ran down the stairs to greet him in a big group hug.

“I’ve already picked out my room!” Daisy announced.

“That’s great. Why are you moving?” Robbie asked.

“Dawn and I are getting a divorce.”

Robbie’s jaw dropped. “Gaz, no.”

“We both agreed it was for the best. She’s going to stay in our current house, and it’s not too far away from here for shared custody.” Gary moved closer to him. “And you’ll always have a place here for whenever you decide to come back.”

Robbie looked over at the kids, who smiled back at him. “Gaz, I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, that’s a first!” Gary giggled.

“Dad,” Emily piped up. “I think we might have something that will help sway him.” She nudged her sister. “Go on.”

Daisy walked up to Robbie and dropped to one knee. She held out a box and opened it. 

“Will you be my daddy?” she asked in a quiet but hopeful voice.

Gary’s eyes widened at the sight of the ring. His eyes flashed up to Robbie’s face. He looked like he was about to cry.

Robbie bent over and scooped up the child. “Of course! I want that more than anything in this world!” he said, kissing the side of her head.

He looked over to Gary, who was still in shock. His face dropped.

“Did you not know about this?”

“No, I ordered the ring right before we broke up. I didn’t even pick it up. Never in a million years did I think you’d say ‘yes.’” He looked over at Emily. “Did you do this?”

She nodded happily. “Go ask him properly,” she urged.

Gary took the ring box from Daisy’s hands into his own shaky ones and nervously bent on one knee.

“Um, Robert Peter Williams, will you marry me?”

Robbie grinned and looked at the child in his arms. “What do you think?”

“Hmm…” she exhaled dramatically. 

“Daisy!”

“Oh, okay, I guess,” she quipped.

Robbie laughed and nodded at Gary. “I guess so.”

Gary chuckled. “I’m going to need a better answer than that!”

Robbie motioned for him to stand up. “Yes, Mr. Barlow, I will marry you,” he said before kissing him.

“Ew! They’re kissing!” Daisy squirmed in Robbie’s arms.

Robbie put her down and held out his hand to Gary. The older man slid the ring onto his finger and pulled him close.

“Now do you believe you’re part of this family?” he asked, nuzzling against the taller man’s neck.

“I don’t know. Daisy had her reservations about you,” he teased.

Gary tickled him in response. “Want to see the rest of the house?”

Robbie grinned. “Want to show me our bedroom?” he asked suggestively.

“Gross!” Emily shouted. “We can hear you!”

Dan elbowed her. “Shush. Think of those pancakes Dad makes every time Rob comes back from a trip!”

“That’s why he makes them!” she exclaimed in disbelief.

Gary turned bright red. “Let’s show Rob the rest of the house, shall we?”

“Can we have pancakes for breakfast tomorrow?” Daisy asked innocently.

Robbie giggled and winked at his fiancé. “I’ll see what I can do.”


	15. Epilogue

Gary laid back and took in the desert heat, feeling the sun’s rays on his skin. After a long tour with Howard and Mark, this was the perfect way to recharge his batteries. He reached out his hand and took a hold of Robbie’s beside him.

“Don’t let him fall asleep,” Emily warned. “He’s still got a concert to perform tonight.”

“Mmm… not asleep,” Robbie mumbled. “Just resting my eyes.”

“Daddy, look!” Daisy pointed to a billboard that just lit up - Robbie Williams Live in Las Vegas. “It’s your show,” she said proudly.

He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Daddy loves you.”


End file.
